Cubs' lumber comes alive

June 20, 2006|PAUL SULLIVAN Chicago Tribune

CLEVELAND -- The Chicago Cubs had another team meeting before Monday night's 12-8 win over the Cleveland Indians at Jacobs Field, though manager Dusty Baker declined to reveal what was said. Whatever it was, there's no doubt Baker wasn't kicking them around. "I don't kick my team publicly," he said. "I kick my team privately. "It's easier to kick your team or try to inspire your team when they're playing well. But when they're playing terrible, not playing very well, and you start kicking them, all you're going to do is kick them further in the grave. "I come from a school where you're actually tougher on them when they're playing good than when they're playing poorly." The Cubs have been playing poorly the last two months, but snapped a six-game losing streak with a 16-hit assault against the Indians. Henry Blanco homered and tied a career high with four RBI, Juan Pierre tripled and drove in three runs and Jacque Jones and Phil Nevin added home runs. Rookie left-hander Sean Marshall (4-5) allowed four runs over five innings before a rain delay prompted his exit. While the Cubs have been on the ropes since Derrek Lee's wrist injury April 19, Baker refuses to concede they are down for the count. Asked if the team meeting suggested he was dissatisfied with the team's effort, he answered: "No, no, no." While Baker said he believed the team was "outmanned" in the three-game series against Detroit, he doesn't believe "underachieve" is a word that describes the Cubs' performance this season. "I haven't said 'underachieved,"' Baker said. "We haven't performed as well as I think some of them can, over a long period of time ... but I can't say we've underachieved. Sometimes we've lost and other times we got beat."